Friends Forever: Part 3
by angelkittysmith
Summary: My childhood friends Sarah, James, Henri, and I learn about the spirit of giving gifts around the Christmas holidays with one of our other friends, Carly Shay and her parents, Sam and Freddie. Note: I do NOT own Liberty's Kids or iCarly. Nickelodeon and PBS Kids do.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1: Getting to Know You

One chilly third Saturday of November 2019, my childhood friends Sarah, James, and Henri took me out to dinner at El Campesino in Monroeville right after my shift at Goodwill in Cheswick ended. One of my other best friends, Carly Shay, and her parents, Sam and Freddie, also met us at the Mexican restaurant. "Hi, guys!" I greeted my friends. "Hi, Angel!" Sarah greeted back. "I can't believe that your 30th birthday is in 2 weeks, Sarah," Carly pointed out. "I still have to pick out an amazing gift for you." "Well, Sarah would like a winter coat from me, and maybe, you could give her a matching scarf," I told Sarah. "Angel has spent the whole month of November thinking about a very special birthday present from me," Sarah explained. "Now, we need to work on giving Christmas gifts to our peers," James told us. "So, therefore, we should talk with our best friend and get to know them better." At the restaurant, Sarah, Carly, and I were at one table, while James, Mrs. Shay, Henri, and Mr. Benson were at another. "What's your shoe size, Henri?" Mr. Benson asked. "Why do you ask that, Mr. Benson?" Henri asked. "So, I can find you some more socks," Mr. Benson explained. "No," Henri said sternly. "No more socks. My bosses at Creative Citizens Studio never understood me." "I'm just kidding," Mr. Benson stated. "I understand you perfectly well. So, what part of the city do you live in, what would you NOT want as a gift, and what are your favorite places to eat, shop, and visit?" "I live in the borough of Forest Hills with my older brother and sister, I told you that I do NOT want any more socks as a gift, and I live by many great restaurants and shops. One of my favorite restaurants to eat at is Drew's Family Restaurant, where they have really good pancakes, and Goodwill, which is a very nice and well-known thrift store." "Okay, so I could get you a gift card to Goodwill or a couple vouchers from Drew's Family Restaurant," Mr. Benson replied. "What do you wish to know more about, what is your favorite video game, and what brings you happiness?" Henri asked Mr. Benson. "I wish to know more about the Allegheny River, one of my favorite video games is Call of Duty, and sitting on the back porch reading a book in warm weather brings me happiness," Mr. Benson replied. "So, maybe you would like a book about the river or a Call of Duty video game," Henri replied. "What are your hobbies, James?" Mrs. Shay asked. "I like reading, writing, and listening to music," James replied. "What kind of music do you like?" Mrs. Shay replied. "I like all kinds of music, Mrs. Shay," James replied. "I like pop music, rock music, country music, rap music, R&B music, and soul music." "What are your favorite online sites to visit?" Mrs. Shay asked. "YouTube and Facebook," James replied. "Especially with my old girlfriend, Phillis having a YouTube account now." "Didn't you briefly date her your freshman year of high school?" Mrs. Shay asked. "Yes, but unfortunately, the relationship did not last," James replied. James went on to ask Mrs. Shay some questions. "What part of the city do you live in, what are your favorite places to eat, and what would you NOT want as a gift?" James asked Mrs. Shay. "I live in Squirrel Hill on 1517 Darlington Avenue, some of our favorite restaurants include Eat n' Park, Aiello's Pizza, and Crazy Mocha, and I would NOT want a pair of slippers as a gift," Mrs. Shay replied. "So, I guess I could get you a voucher for either Eat n' Park, Aiello's Pizza, or Crazy Mocha," James replied. "What is your favorite genre of music, if you had to pick just one?" Mrs. Shay asked. "Rock and roll," James replied. "I like artists like Imagine Dragons, 5 Seconds of Summer, Panic! at the Disco, Avril Lavigne, Walk the Moon, and of course, Maroon 5." "I could get you a classic rock CD," Mrs. Shay replied. Finally, Sarah and Carly asked each other questions. "What do you like to do in your spare time, what is your favorite pop culture franchise, and what are your favorite movies and shows?" Carly asked Sarah. "Well, Carly," Sarah replied, "I like to study fashion and design outfits for parties and other special occasions, my favorite pop culture franchise is American Girl, and I like movies like _Lilo and Stitch, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, Sleepover, The Sandlot, The Princess Diaries,_ and, of course, romantic movies." "So, I assume that you would like a fashion gift card to Kohl's," Carly replied. "Is that your favorite store to shop at, Sarah?" "Yes, it is," Sarah replied. Sarah went on to ask Carly some questions. "What are your special interests, what is your favorite color, and do you like Disney?" Sarah asked Carly. "My special interests are studying fashion and shopping, just like you, my favorite color is pink, and I love Disney," Carly replied. "Especially Disney princesses." "Who is your favorite Disney princess, Carly?" Sarah asked. "Pocahontas, of course," Carly replied. "For me, it is a toss-up between Belle and Princess Jasmine," Sarah replied. "By the way, do you still work at Macy's in downtown Pittsburgh?" "Yes, I do," Carly replied. "It all started when I was a freshman at high school in Natrona Heights, and I looked around a store, and I found the perfect store idea- none other than Macy's," Carly explained. "Maybe, I will get you a Disney princess notebook," Sarah replied. I gathered the group back together and talked about Secret Santa. "Secret Santa is an arrangement in which a group of friends or colleagues exchange Christmas presents anomalously, each member of the group being assigned another member for whom to provide a small gift, typically costing no more than a set amount," I explained. "The rules are that you can't tell anyone who you have to buy for, have to spend only the amount you agree on, which is 10 dollars, and you have to wrap the gift and have it ready to send for your holiday party," I continued. "Secret Santas are very popular all over school and through various clubs and extracurricular activities." After we paid our checks for dinner, Sarah, James, and Henri drove me back to my mom's apartment in Highland Park. "Thanks for a great day, everyone!" I thanked my friends. "You're welcome, Angel," Sarah replied. "Bye, guys!" "Bye!"


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Online Shopping

One chilly Saturday in November 2019, my childhood friends Sarah, James, and Henri took me out to Chili's at the Pittsburgh Mills Mall right after my shift at Goodwill in Cheswick ended. One of my other best friends, Carly Shay, and her parents, Sam and Freddie, also met us at the Mexican restaurant. "Hi, guys!" I greeted my friends. "Hi, Angel!" Sarah greeted back. "I hope that you can help me with shopping online for your birthday present because your birthday is next Saturday, Sarah," Carly pointed out. "I ordered you a new scarf." "And, I already ordered you a new winter coat," I added. "Did you make sure that the address goes to the hotel in Monroeville rather than our apartment?" Sarah asked. "Yes, I did, Sarah," I told her. "I already know where you are staying at." "I was gonna ask you the same thing, Carly," Sarah pointed out. "Did you send it to the Hampton Inn and Express Suites?" "You told us just yesterday," Carly pointed out. "My mom and stepdad are also here for my birthday," Sarah added. "You must be lucky to celebrate your birthday around the holidays, Sarah," Carly remarked. "That's right," I added. "Carly and I are both spring babies born in the month of April." "You were born on April 3, Angel, and you were born on April 14, Carly," Sarah remembered. "Correct!" I exclaimed. "Henri and Mr. Benson's birthdays are both in March, Mrs. Shay's birthday is in February, and James's birthday is in June." "All right, now let's get to today's lesson," Sarah directed us. "Since I already know about both Sarah's and Carly's holiday shopping experience, I would like to know what experience the rest of you guys had holiday shopping," I pointed out. "My dad already let me shop for presents for other people," James told us. "It wasn't easy at first, similar to how juggling many balls in the air was not easy, but I learned to do both of them when I was 14 years old." "Can you remember the first Christmas present you ever got for me, James?" Henri asked. "Of course I do, Henri," James replied. "Those balls that I had trouble juggling with, so you could have them to juggle instead of me." "Freddie and I began online shopping well before Halloween," Mrs. Shay stated. "We wanted to make sure that all of the gifts everybody wanted were on sale well in advance," Mr. Benson added. "Sam, I think that was a great idea of you!" "Well, I just always wanted to make sure that everybody has the right gift they want well in advance before they sell out," Mrs. Shay added. "These are nice ideas, but are there any ways that Carly and I can stretch our dollar?" I asked. "All you have to do is buy the cheaper brands," James pointed out. "Can you get the same type of gift from, say, Target or Wal-Mart, or can you see if they have it on Amazon?" "Let's not forget coupons," Henri chimed in. "I just download apps," Mrs. Shay pointed out. "Discounts are another good idea," Mr. Benson added. "I also thought about making a birthday gift for Sarah," Carly pointed out. "That was very sweet of you, Carly," Sarah remarked. "What were some ideas that you thought of making me for my birthday?" "I don't know, since Angel was giving you a winter coat, I thought of maybe making you something like a sweater, a scarf, jewelry, a hat, a handbag, a photo album, a painting, music, or some baked goods," Carly stated. "Maybe, I think that I will do that in case your birthday gift doesn't come right away. Can I also bake you a birthday cake or cupcakes?" "That would be nice instead of an ice cream cake that they sell at Target," Sarah added. "I would prefer a yellow cake with buttercream frosting and fall-like decorations." "Thanks for letting me know, Carly," Sarah added. "You're welcome, Sarah," Carly replied. "Something else that I do is cut out or cut back on costly habits, like buying gifts early in the year so you are not spending money all at once like your parents stated, limiting music and app downloads, using free public transportation, going to free local events, and borrowing books and DVDs from the library," Sarah told me and Carly. "I wanted to try online shopping and see if it had any benefits that regular shopping did not have," Carly stated. "Just think: with online shopping, you can shop around for various prices, there is no transportation required, they sometimes have online only deals, and it can be shipped right to Sarah's house, except this time, the gift is coming to her hotel." "Online shopping is a nice idea, Carly," Sarah pointed out. "But, I don't like online shopping because I am unsure what I am going to get sometimes, they have me use a debit or credit card, shipping may cost additional money, I would need to shop early to make sure it gets to me on time, and not all websites may be secure." Sarah also looked up the price of the winter coat and scarf, and saw that if they were bought at Target or Wal-Mart, they would cost more in order to shipping. After we paid our checks for dinner, Sarah, James, and Henri drove me back to my mom's apartment in Highland Park. "Thanks for a great evening, everyone!" I thanked my friends. "You're welcome, Angel," Sarah replied. "Bye, guys!" "Bye!"


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Christmas Shopping at Target

One chilly last Saturday of November 2019, my childhood friends Sarah, James, and Henri took me out to McDonald's in Harmarville for dinner right after my shift at Goodwill in Cheswick ended. Then, we met one of my other best friends, Carly Shay, and her parents, Sam and Freddie, at Target a few blocks down to go Christmas shopping. "Hi, guys!" I greeted my friends. "Hi, Angel!" Sarah greeted back. "Happy birthday, Sarah," I wished my best friend. "Thanks, Angel," Sarah replied. "You're welcome," I replied. I noticed that Sarah was wearing the pink shaggy coat that I bought her. "What do you think of your new coat?" I asked. "It's beautiful," Sarah replied, "and it keeps me warm, too. Thank you very much!" "You are so welcome," I replied. "I thought that you would like it." I noticed that Sarah had on a lot of her other nice clothes, including her pink glittery top, her silver hair clip, her pink feather boa, and of course, her black dress pants and high-heeled shoes. She also got her hair and make-up done for her special day. "I'm so sorry, Sarah," Carly apologized. "For what, Carly?" Sarah asked. "I am sorry if you didn't get your scarf at the hotel," Carly explained. "I sent it to Hampton Inn Suites in Monroeville." "I apologize, Carly," Sarah explained. "I meant to say Holiday Inn Express and Suites, not Hampton Inn Suites." "No worries, though," Carly continued. "I hand-knitted you a bright pink scarf to wear with it, instead." Sarah unwrapped her gift and smiled. "You did a good job knitting the scarf, Carly," Sarah praised. "Didn't you also say something about baking me a birthday cake?" "It's right here in the box," Carly explained. A birthday cake with iced leaves and buttercream frosting was displayed, also saying "Happy Birthday, Sarah" on the front. There were candles shaped in the numbers 3 and 0, for Sarah's 30th birthday. We all sang "Happy Birthday" to Sarah and then she blew out the candles. "So, how has it been accompanying Angel to her new job at Goodwill in Cheswick, James?" Mrs. Shay asked. "It's been very good, Mrs. Shay," James replied. "Although, we always have to take the Pennsylvania Turnpike from either Forest Hills or Monroeville to Cheswick since it is the fastest way to go!" "Isn't that a toll road?" Mrs. Shay asked. "Ever since I learned to drive at the age of 15 years old, I knew what all the different roads were and where I was going," James explained. "Have you ever been to this Target before, Mr. Benson?" Henri asked. "Yes, Henri," Mr. Benson replied. "This was actually the first Target I went to back in 2009 since there wasn't one in Natrona Heights since there was a 50% off sale on summer appliances and furniture that could only be found at Target," Mr. Benson explained. Then, we walked around and looked for Secret Santa gifts, making sure they were all 10 dollars and under. Sarah bought a Frozen 2 lip balm and bath set for Carly, James bought a hot cocoa mix for Mrs. Shay, and Henri bought a coloring book for Mr. Benson. Carly bought a Vanilla Bean Gift Set for Sarah, Mrs. Shay bought a paperback book on giving gifts for James, and Mr. Benson bought a STEAM gift card for Henri. After we purchased our gifts, Sarah, James, Henri, and I headed back to their hotel in Monroeville. "Thanks for a great day, everyone!" I thanked my friends. "You're welcome, Angel," Sarah replied. "Good night, guys!" "Good night!"


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: Wrapping Christmas Gifts

One cold first Saturday of December 2019, I met my childhood friends Sarah, James, and Henri, as well as one of my other best friends, Carly Shay and her parents, Sam and Freddie, at their apartment in Forest Hills. "Hi, guys!" I greeted my friends. "Hi, Angel!" Sarah greeted back. After we ate cobb salad for lunch, we wrapped the gifts that we bought for each other at Target last Saturday. Sarah, James, and Henri played Christmas music in the background. "I think that Carly will like this _Frozen 2_ lip balm and bath set," Sarah stated, wrapping her gift. "She obviously loves Disney princesses, as do I." "What if the Disney movie were _Pocahontas_, instead, which is an analog of this year?" I asked. "I already know how much Carly loves _Pocahontas_, Angel," Sarah stated. "The hot cocoa mix would be a good gift for Mrs. Shay, because it will give her something tasty and delicious to drink during the holidays," James stated. "Heck, I love hot chocolate, too! I love chocolate goodies in general! "I hope Mr. Benson likes his coloring book," Henri stated. "A lot of the books they had at Target were over 10 dollars, and I want him to have a good book to read outside on the front porch." "Wow, Henri is really starting to remember what people want," James remarked. "But, they didn't have any gift cards for restaurants, so this was the best that I could find." "Do you guys miss volunteering for the Moser-Mifflin girls' monthly slumber parties?" I asked. "Jill is having a Let-It-Snow Sleepover tonight." "We sure do, Angel," Sarah stated. "But remember, we officially have a paid job for that now," James added. "What did you think of sleeping over at Carly's house, Sarah?" I asked. "Did you do makeovers like we used to do together?" "We sure did, Angel," Sarah replied. "Carly and I both like the exact same shade of nail polish on our nails, and Carly sometimes braids her hair." "You are so lucky to have other female soulmates besides me," I pointed out. After Carly and her parents were done wrapping their gifts, they came back into the living room. There was yet another challenge for us, which was to practice accepting non-preferred gifts. Some tips for us on accepting bad gifts were talking about qualities of the gift, keeping it short, thanking the person, trying to smile, and not overdoing it. Carly unwrapped a package of toothpicks, Mrs. Shay unwrapped a notebook, Mr. Benson unwrapped a remote control, Henri unwrapped a Panera gift card with no money on it, James unwrapped an empty tissue box, and Sarah unwrapped a Dry Erase Marker. "That exercise on accepting gifts was beneficial since I got a terrible back-to-school gift, which was just pencils and pens," Carly stated. "But, just think, it was a necessary gift for school," Mrs. Shay pointed out. "Yeah, and it would have worked out perfectly," Mr. Benson added. Then, we planned our Christmas party for next Saturday. James said that he would order pizza from either Pizza Hut, Domino's, or Vincent's Pizza Park, Sarah said that she would bake vanilla-flavored cupcakes with red and green frosting, and Henri wanted to bring some of his favorite candies, like Reese's Peanut Butter Cups. Carly and her parents volunteered to help pitch in for the party, as well. Carly offered to bring Eat n' Park smiley cookies, Mrs. Shay would bring a switch for games and chips, and Mr. Benson would bring a 2-liter bottle of soda. We decided to eat and unwrap our presents first, then do some Christmas karaoke, play video and board games, and finally, watch a Christmas movie. After our discussion group was over, I headed back to my mentor, Jenna's apartment in Point Breeze. "Thanks for a great day, everyone!" I thanked my friends. "You're welcome, Angel," Sarah replied. "Bye, guys!" "Bye!"


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5: A Christmas Party in Forest Hills

One cold second Saturday of December 2019, I met my childhood friends Sarah, James, and Henri at their apartment in Forest Hills, along with one of my other best friends, Carly Shay and her parents, Sam and Freddie. "Hi, guys!" I greeted my friends. "Hi, Angel!" Sarah greeted back. "Merry Christmas!" I wished all of my friends. A Christmas tree was set up by the window, and Christmas music was playing in the background. There was all sorts of good food to eat at the party, including pizza, smiley cookies, red and green cupcakes, candy, chips, popcorn, even Chick-fil-A chicken nuggets, and of course, drinks. We all opened our gifts after dinner. Sarah got a Vanilla Bean Gift Set from Carly, James got a Christmas paperback book from Mrs. Shay, Henri got a STEAM gift card from Mr. Benson, Carly got a Frozen 2 lip gloss and bath set from Sarah, Mrs. Shay got a hot cocoa mix from James, and Mr. Benson got a coloring book from Henri. James, Henri, Mrs. Shay, and Mr. Benson decided to play the Rock Blast video game, while Sarah, Carly, and I decided to play Bananagrams. "Thanks for bringing the video game switch, Mr. Benson," Henri thanked. "No problem, Henri," Mr. Benson agreed. "I love that we can all play good video games together." "Is this one of your favorite video games to play, James?" Mrs. Shay asked. "It absolutely is, Mrs. Shay," James agreed. "I told you that I love rock music best. One of my favorite bands to rock out to is Imagine Dragons." I won the first game of Bananagrams, so I decided to watch Carly and Sarah play. "Did you bake those cupcakes, Sarah?" Carly asked. "Yes, I did, Carly," Sarah replied. "If it were Earth Day, I would use blue and green frosting instead of red and green frosting," Sarah sighed. "And, that was unfortunately the only class that I didn't pass in high school." "Don't focus on things like that, Sarah," Carly encouraged. "This Christmas party is fun enough!" "Sort of like when you came up to visit at Edinboro and we celebrated with pizza and ice cream," I told Carly. "I also don't want to eat too much at this party since I am trying to lose weight." After the party was over, Sarah, James, and Henri drove me back to my mentor, Jill's apartment in Point Breeze. "Thanks for a great day, everyone!" I thanked my friends. "You're welcome, Angel," Sarah replied. "Bye, guys!" "Bye!"


End file.
